Advances melanoma therapy

• April 29, 2024

Results of recent studies suggest that treatment with zoledronic acid for patients with melanoma can improve the opportunity survival, publishes the English medical journal The Lancet.

To the Zoledronic acid is a type of biosfonate used to treat osteoporosis, and in general, to strengthen thin and weak bones. This acid is given to patients with melanoma to improve the health of their bones and reduce the risk of fracture and bone-ache which are common effects in this type of Cancer.

Researchers admitted to 1960 patients older than 18 years who had recently been diagnosed with multiple melanoma in 120 centers in the United Kingdom. About half of the sample of patients was treated with zoledronic acid and the other half with clodronic acid. In both cases it was tested in patients in chemotherapy intensive and non-intensive and they were followed up for about 3 more years.

It was observed that the group treated with zoledronic acid under its mortality rate in 16% compared to the group that was treated with clodronic acid, which gave them a survival extension of 5.5 months, the study reports.

"In terms of melanoma, the last decade has seen large improvements in patient survival and well-being rates thanks to the advances in therapy. And it is already well known that biosphonates they have an effect not only on the health of the bones, but on the same melanoma cells " , he indicated to Yahoo Health News the professor of medicine and biochemistry at the Medical University of Rochester, Dr. Marshall Lichtman.

Video Medicine: Advances in Therapy for BRAF-mutant Melanoma (April 2024).